Dumfries & Galloway Council approves 97.4% of planning applications, based on 23,365 real decisions analysed from the council’s public planning portal. The national average across all councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Dumfries & Galloway sits 8.8 percentage points above the national average.
According to PlanningLens analysis of 1,216 decided applications, Dumfries & Galloway Council approved 94.4% of planning applications in 2025. Across 23,365 decisions analysed since January 2020, the overall approval rate in Dumfries & Galloway is 97.4%; the national average across UK councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%.
Source: PlanningLens (planninglens.co.uk) analysis of Dumfries & Galloway council planning portal records · Updated August 2026 · Quote freely with attribution
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Not all applications are treated equally. Extension types, listed building consent, and change of use applications each have very different success rates in Dumfries & Galloway.
| Application Type | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Other | 21,384 | 528 | 21,912 | 97.6% |
| Full | 725 | 49 | 774 | 93.7% |
| Prior Approval | 285 | 0 | 285 | 100.0% |
| Listed Building | 139 | 10 | 149 | 93.3% |
| Discharge of Conditions | 128 | 7 | 135 | 94.8% |
| Trees | 73 | 0 | 73 | 100.0% |
| Advertisement | 32 | 1 | 33 | 97.0% |
| Certificate of Lawfulness | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0.0% |
A loft conversion in one ward can have a 90% approval rate. In the next ward, 55%. The free check tells you which side you're on, your free property report is emailed in minutes.
Check My PostcodeWard-level data reveals where planning applications are most and least likely to succeed. Officers, local policies, and neighbourhood character all play a role.
| Ward | Approved | Refused | Total | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dee And Glenkens | 2,654 | 76 | 2,730 | 97.2% |
| Mid Galloway And Wigtown West | 2,464 | 78 | 2,542 | 96.9% |
| Annandale North | 2,178 | 59 | 2,237 | 97.4% |
| Mid And Upper Nithsdale | 2,158 | 61 | 2,219 | 97.3% |
| Annandale East And Eskdale | 1,995 | 42 | 2,037 | 97.9% |
| Castle Douglas And Crocketford | 1,827 | 55 | 1,882 | 97.1% |
| Annandale South | 1,580 | 42 | 1,622 | 97.4% |
| Nith | 1,532 | 27 | 1,559 | 98.3% |
| Abbey | 1,488 | 54 | 1,542 | 96.5% |
| Stranraer And The Rhins | 1,474 | 57 | 1,531 | 96.3% |
| Lochar | 1,303 | 24 | 1,327 | 98.2% |
| Mid Galloway | 1,074 | 9 | 1,083 | 99.2% |
| North West Dumfries | 641 | 11 | 652 | 98.3% |
How Dumfries & Galloway’s planning approval rate has changed year by year, down 2.1pp since 2018.
Bar height reflects approval rate. Colour: green ≥85%, amber ≥70%, red below 70%.
Real residential planning decisions from Dumfries & Galloway council. Each reference links to the council's own planning portal so you can verify the details yourself.
| Reference | Proposal | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| 26/1320/UTL Annandale South | DEMOLITION OF 3 NO. MODULAR BUILDINGS | Approved |
| 26/1098/FUL Castle Douglas And Crocketford | ALTERATIONS AND CHANGE OF USE OF STEADING BUILDINGS TO FORM DETACHED DOMESTIC AN | Approved |
| 26/0385/LBC Dee And Glenkens | INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL ALTERATIONS, INCLUDING INSTALLATION OF REPLACEMENT WINDOWS | Refused |
| 26/0964/FUL Mid And Upper Nithsdale | RELOCATION OF GATE PIERS AND ERECTION OF REPLACEMENT RAILINGS AND GATES (PARTIAL | Approved |
| 26/0906/FUL Stranraer And The Rhins | CHANGE OF USE OF AGRICULTURAL LAND TO FORM EXTENSION TO CARAVAN PARK, FORMATION | Approved |
| 26/0515/LBC Dee And Glenkens | INSTALLATION OF REPLACEMENT EXTERNAL DOORS AND INTERNAL WINDOW BARS | Approved |
| 26/1102/FUL Mid Galloway And Wigtown West | CHANGE OF USE OF HALL TO FORM DWELLINGHOUSE (CLASS 9) AND ALTERATIONS INCLUDING | Approved |
| 26/1008/FUL Castle Douglas And Crocketford | ALTERATIONS AND ERECTION OF RAISED DECKING TO SOUTH WEST ELEVATION OF DWELLINGHO | Approved |
| 26/0987/FUL Mid Galloway And Wigtown West | CHANGE OF USE OF BOAT PARK TO FORM GARDEN AND SEATING AREA, LANDSCAPING AND ASSO | Approved |
| 26/0959/LBC Castle Douglas And Crocketford | ERECTION OF SINGLE STOREY EXTENSION TO WEST ELEVATION, FORMATION OF PORCH CANOPY | Approved |
Find out what actually gets approved near your address first. Your free property report analyses the 20 nearest decisions to your property, ward-specific refusal patterns, and extension-by-extension approval patterns. Based on Dumfries & Galloway's 23,365 real decisions. Free, emailed in minutes.
Check my postcodeCompare Dumfries & Galloway's planning approval rates with neighbouring areas:
Dig deeper into Dumfries & Galloway's planning statistics, by ward, extension type, or project category:
Data-driven guides to help you understand planning approval patterns:
Yes. PlanningLens offers a free planning permission check for Dumfries & Galloway. Enter your postcode to instantly see approval rates for your ward and application type, based on 23,365 real decisions from Dumfries & Galloway council. The full property-specific report is also free and emailed within minutes.
Enter your postcode on PlanningLens for a free instant check based on Dumfries & Galloway's real planning decisions. The free property report goes further: it analyses the 20 nearest comparable decisions to your property, ward-level refusal patterns, and approval rates by application type. Free and emailed within minutes.
Based on 23,365 planning decisions, the overall approval rate in Dumfries & Galloway is 97.4%. The national average across councils tracked by PlanningLens is 88.6%. Rates vary significantly by ward and application type.
PlanningLens has analysed 23,365 planning decisions from Dumfries & Galloway council. 22,766 were approved and 599 were refused. These figures cover decisions from January 2020 to the present.
The average approval rate in Dumfries & Galloway is 97.4%, but outcomes depend heavily on your specific ward, the type of extension or development you are proposing, and local planning policy. Use the free PlanningLens postcode check to get a personalised score.
Writing about planning in Dumfries & Galloway? These figures are free to republish with attribution. Copy the one-line citation, or paste the stat box into any website, CMS or newsletter, it carries its own styling and links back to this page for verification.